The Moon & Sun
by The Little Punk That Could
Summary: When Karin discovers a journal in Ichigo's room, she brings back unexpected memories. Ichigo soon discovers more and more about his childhood savior, eventually leading to an unlikely reunion among friends. OC included, possible pairings.


Chapter One: Martyr

'_There was once a girl. Her name was Thalia Hiroshika and she was a hero. Her name was Thalia and she loved her life, regardless of the suffering she faced. Her name was Thalia and the day came that she hurt all over, and her breath was leaving her._

_ Her name was Thalia, and she died to save a stranger.'_

Karin read the words as she lifted the journal from the ground, the pages dented at the corners and meaningless scribble in the margins. She ran her fingers over the page and felt all the pressure that was against the pen, as if the words were important and strong. She closed the journal, flipped it to the front, and searched for any name or title, but found nothing. It was a plain blood red journal, sitting on Ichigo's floor, begging to be read.

Before she could even try to read it, Ichigo yanked it from her hands and glowered down at her with a dark red blush. "Karin, what are you doing in my room?"

She sighed, rubbing her neck. "Yuzu told me to call you for dinner, but I guess you were in the bathroom. It sure took you awhile." She walked out to the kitchen, mind still trailing on about a dead girl named Thalia.

Ichigo knew her well, was the only one who truly even missed her – even if he only knew her for a little while. As he set the journal in its proper place in his closet, he thought of her once again, making it to the table without his father's constant pestering. His father had gone for a business trip for nearly a week, leaving Ichigo to care for his sisters. Of course, this meant make sure Yuzu didn't overexert herself.

However, as much as he wished he couldn't remember, Ichigo found himself reliving the memory again.

_Ichigo walked into the grocery store with his mother, watching her race around for her produce. He remembered being young, but old enough to understand. He wandered off aimlessly to observe the area, hardly paying attention to any people. Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder, too warm and gripping him too hard. Ichigo looked up, unable to see the man under his large baseball cap, and felt his stomach drop. He was a stranger, an unknown, leading him towards the door. _

_The man led him out a side-exit that exited to an alleyway, where a white van waited. Ichigo began to cry, pushing his heels into the dirt and dragging them along as the man pushed him. Suddenly, a girl appeared at the end of the alley; she looked a tad bit younger than him, but Ichigo found comfort in her presence. _

"_Let him go." She barked, pulling a small knife from her cargo shorts pocket._

"_Who are you?" The man asked, his grip on Ichigo tightening. _

"_My name is Thalia Hiroshika. Wouldn't you want a girl? Come on now! Drop the kid. Catch me if you can!" _

_The man stopped, but only for a second, before beginning his slow walk towards her. She glared at him, launching forward and cutting the kidnappers hand. He let out a growl as Ichigo jumped backwards towards the exit door that still swung open in the air, watching in horror as the girl slashed him legs before he grabbed her by the neck. "Run kid!" She croaked._

_The man walked towards the van, stuffing her and taking a seat, closing the door. The last thing Ichigo saw was the wounded face of his savior, streaked with blood just under her eyebrows, her neck snapped, and her body limp. _

_Ichigo ran into the store, tears streaking down his face, finally finding his mother searching desperately for him. He couldn't bear to speak of what happened, or what he witnessed, so he kept quiet and thought of the girl who sacrificed herself for a stranger and uttered a prayer.'_

The moment he looked at his sisters, he forced the memory out, and sat down to dinner with a forced smile. "Thank you for the food!"

_There once was a boy. His name was Ichigo Kurosaki and he locked out a past that defined his future. _


End file.
